Dec 26 news article

https://globalnews.ca/news/9372921/ukrainian-christmas-russia-dec-25/ Some Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 to part ways with Russia. Here’s why

Ukrainians usually celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, as do the Russians. But not this year, or at least not all of them. Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. Yes, this has to do with the war, and yes, they have the blessing of their local church.

The idea of commemorating the birth of Jesus in December was considered radical in Ukraine until recently, but Russia’s invasion changed many hearts and minds. In October, the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is not aligned with the Russian church and one of two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, agreed to allow faithful to celebrate on Dec. 25.

The choice of dates has clear political and religious overtones in a nation with rival Orthodox churches and where slight revisions to rituals can carry potent meaning in a culture war that runs parallel to the shooting war.

For some people, changing dates represents a separation from Russia, its culture, and religion. People in a village on the outskirts of Kyiv voted recently to move up their Christmas observance. “What began on Feb. 24, the full-scale invasion, is an awakening and an understanding that we can no longer be part of the Russian world,” Olena Paliy, a 33-year-old Bobrytsia resident, said.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups.

The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, and Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for purposes of calculating Christmas.

The Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decreed in October that local church rectors could choose the date along with their communities, saying the decision followed years of discussion but also resulted from the circumstances of the war.

In Bobrytsia, some members of the faith promoted the change within the local church, which recently transitioned to being part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with no ties to Russia. When a vote was taken last week, 200 out of 204 people said yes to adopting Dec. 25 as the new day to celebrate Christmas.

“This is a big step because never in our history have we had the same dates of celebration of Christmas in Ukraine with the whole Christian world. All the time we were separated,” said Roman Ivanenko, a local official in Bobrytsia, and one of the promoters of the change. With the switch, he said, they are “breaking this connection” with the Russians.

As in all the Kyiv region, Sunday morning in Bobrytsia began with the sound of sirens, but that didn’t prevent people from gathering in the church to attend a Christmas Mass on Dec. 25 for the first time. In the end, there were no attacks reported in the capital. “No enemy can take away the holiday because the holiday is born in the soul,” the Rev. Rostyslav Korchak said in his homily, during which he used the words “war,” “soldiers,” and “evil” more than “Jesus Christ.”

Anna Nezenko, 65, attended the church in Bobrytsia on every Christmas since the building was inaugurated in 2000, although always on Jan. 7th. She said she did not feel strange doing so Sunday. “The most important is the God to be born in the heart,” she said.

In 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, granted complete independence, or autocephaly, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Ukrainians who favored recognition for a national church in tandem with Ukraine’s political independence from the former Soviet Union had long sought such approval. The Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, fiercely protested the move, saying Ukraine was not under the jurisdiction of Bartholomew.

The other major branch of Orthodoxy in the country, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remained loyal to Moscow until the outbreak of war. It declared independence in May, though it remains under government scrutiny. That church has traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7.

Article 2 : https://wng.org/podcasts/monday-morning-news-december-26-2022-1672032111 Monday morning news: December 26, 2022 A monster winter storm claimed dozens of lives and caused travel disruptions over the Christmas weekend, many Republicans are blasting the massive spending bill that Congress passed before Christmas, Homeland Security numbers suggest the border crisis is already getting worse

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. Weather » A monster winter storm claimed dozens of lives over the Christmas weekend. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul: HOCHUL: This one is for the ages. And we’re still in the middle of it. We still have people who need to be rescued. We have people with their power off in their communities and buildings where their pipes are bursting and flooding is occurring, as is occurring, as is happening in my own home right now.

Snow-buried regions around the Great Lakes have seen the worst of it, but Richard Otto with the National Weather Service said Sunday … OTTO: Cold numbers go all the way down to the Gulf Coast where much of the Deep South is below freezing this morning. Central and northern Florida, they are also below freezing this morning. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning over the weekend.

Travel » And, of course, the severe winter weather caused nightmares for holiday travelers. After tens of thousands of flight cancellations, many found themselves stranded at airports on Christmas Day. One traveler at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport said he was hoping for the best. AUDIO: I have my fingers crossed that we’re able to kind of pull off something exciting here and get somewhere, other than Atlanta. Starting Friday and into Saturday, the entire Seattle-Tacoma airport was shut down with all of its runways iced over.

Gas » But for holiday road-trippers in areas where the roads are safe to drive, they’re enjoying lower prices at the pump. Patrick De Haan with Gasbuddy.com… DE HAAN: The national average up just slightly overnight to $3.09 per gallon. That’s still 47 cents a gallon less than a month ago. And prices now 20 cents lower than they were last Christmas. AAA says Texans are paying the lowest per-gallon average in the nation at $2.65. California still has the most expensive gas in the continental US at $4.36 a gallon.

Omnibus reactions » Many Republicans are blasting the massive spending bill that Congress passed before Christmas. The 4,000-page, $1.7 trillion omnibus bill funds the government through September. Florida Congressman Michael Walz said the omnibus package was the combination of 12 different appropriations bills. WALZ: We should be voting on every one of those individually. Defense of course, Department of Homeland Security, Labor, and on down the list of federal agencies.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised it as an aggressive investment in America. And some Republicans supported it, including 18 GOP senators. But most said it’s loaded with pork and wasteful spending. And Texas Congressman Pat Fallon said … FALLON: There was nearly a half a billion dollars for securing the border in countries like Egypt and Jordan and [SIC] and nothing for our border.

New border numbers » And Homeland Security numbers suggest that even though the Title 42 rule has not yet next expired, the border crisis is already getting worse. Border authorities last month detained more than 230,000 migrants who crossed illegally. That is a record for the month of November. The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to let Title 42 expire after Christmas. The rule allows the government to more easily expel some migrants who cross the border. I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.